Going Geothermal: Clean, Efficient Cooling for Tulsa's Hot Summers
Homeowners who strive for a high level of energy efficiency and longevity with their HVAC systems often choose geothermal heat pumps (GHPs). These systems top the list for both and provide all the cooling you need for Tulsa's long and hot summers. A GHP uses underground thermal energy to provide both cooling and heating by exchanging heat. In the summer, the GHP sends it underground, and in the winter, it removes the heat from the ground.A GHP consists of an underground loop field and an indoor air handler. Heat from the home is conveyed through refrigerant in the air coil to the underground loops, where the heat is absorbed by the earth. The compressor turns the refrigerant back into a liquid that is recirculated back to the air handler. It flows through the evaporator coil, and once again, picks up the excess heat in your home. The cycle continues until your home reaches the thermostat's setting.These systems offer much higher efficiency than standard air-source heat pumps or air conditioners because the temperatures underground are much cooler than the outdoor air and remain stable day and night. If you combine a desuperheater with the GHP, you can heat your water during the summer with the waste heat from your home.Besides conditioning bills that may be as much as 60 percent lower, your geothermal system lasts longer than conventional cooling systems. The loop field can last 50 years or more and the air handler 25 years with routine maintenance.These systems are so efficient and advantageous for homeowners that a federal tax credit exists to cover 30 percent of the cost and installation of qualifying systems. It's valid through the end of December 2016 and there's no upward limit on it.GHPs cost more than standard heat pumps or air conditioners, largely because of the loop field's installation, which varies based on the size of GHP you need, the yard's size, landscaping and soil conditions.If you'd like to learn more about a geothermal heat pump, contact Air Assurance. We've provided HVAC services for Tulsa and Broken Arrow since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock